President Biden won Tuesday’s Michigan Democratic primary, marking a decisive victory in the battleground state, according to projections from Decision Desk Headquarters.
Biden won Michigan in both the 2020 primary and general election, but has recently faced criticism from progressives and Arab Americans in the state over his administration’s actions regarding the Israel-Hamas war. There is a backlash.
The ballot option where voters choose “no commitment” has so far received more than 100,000 votes, far exceeding the relatively modest goal of 10,000 that campaign organizers had set for themselves. .
The organizers of “Listen to Michigan.” A campaign backed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) urged voters to choose the “no-commitment” option to send a message of dissatisfaction with the war in Gaza to the president.
In a video shared by Listen to Michigan, Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, said, “It’s important to create a voting bloc, a bullhorn that says, ‘Enough is enough.’ It’s something,” he said. “We don’t want a country that supports wars and bombs and destruction. We want to support livelihoods. We want to stand up for every life killed in Gaza.”
Also on the primary ballot were Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Rep. Marianne Williamson, who withdrew from the race.
Back in 2008, then-candidate Hillary Clinton won the Michigan primary with 55% of the vote, but her rival, Barack Obama, was removed from the vote, and a tally of results showed that 40% of voters said she was “irresponsible.” ” and chose it. new york times.
polling I showed it to Biden. He had a large lead over Mr. Williamson and Mr. Phillips heading into Tuesday’s primary, and received significant support from the Detroit-based United Auto Workers (UAW).
The incumbent has previously won Democratic primaries in South Carolina and Nevada, as well as New Hampshire as a write-in candidate. His victory in Michigan builds on his early performance in the state and likely further solidifies his strength as the Democratic nominee.
But as the race moves toward the general election, there are signs of danger in the campaign’s reception from the state’s significant Arab American community. Biden administration officials traveled to Michigan in February and reached out to leaders in discontented regions.
In his statement on Tuesday’s results, Biden did not directly mention the “dedicated” efforts but thanked “every Michigander who spoke out today.”
“Exercising your right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great,” Biden said.
He touted his efforts in the state, pointing to the general election and highlighting the dangers of former President Trump’s re-election.
“Donald Trump seeks revenge and retaliation and threatens to drag us further into the past,” Biden said. “Now Donald Trump wants to ban abortion across the country, including right here in Michigan.”
Former President Trump is leading in the Republican primary, and the race is expected to turn into a rematch between Biden and Trump in 2020. In a hypothetical showdown between the current and former presidents in Michigan, President Trump has a 2.6 point lead, according to Decision Desk HQ/The Hill polling average.
Updated on February 28th at 7am ET
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